Little Eccles Mince Pies Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., For filling, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Add apples, apricot, brown sugar, raisins, apple juice, vinegar, orange zest and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until apples are tender, 15-17 minutes. Stir in rum. Remove from heat; cool slightly., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut 20 circles with a floured 2-3/4-in. round biscuit cutter. Top half the circles with 1 tablespoon filling. Top with remaining circles; press edges with a fork to seal. Cut slits in top. Brush tops with egg; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line 12 bun tins with paper cases. Put the flour, sugar, spice, butter, eggs and milk into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk or wooden spoon for 2-3 mins, until the mix is light and fluffy.
• Put a spoonful of cake mix in each case, then a rounded tsp of mincemeat. Cover the mincemeat with a spoonful of cake mix and smooth.
• Bake for 15-18 mins until golden brown and firm. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or cold.

Steps:

• To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole.
• Spoon the mincemeat into the pies. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies.
• Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. Will keep frozen for up to one month.
• Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with the icing sugar. Will keep for three to four days in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients for the mincemeat in a bowl and add brandy or rum to cover the fruit. Stir well, then let it rest overnight. The next day, stir again and then divide among sterilized preserving jars.
• To make the pastry, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture until it is the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and egg yolk and knead until the mixture comes together into a smooth dough. Alternatively, use a food processor to make the pastry. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease the tart molds with butter and cover the base of each with a small circle of parchment paper. Dust with flour.
• Briefly knead the pastry until smooth, then pat it into a rectangle and roll it out to a thickness of ⅛ inch. Use a round cutter with a diameter of 2¾ - 3¼ inches to cut out pastry circles. Gently push the pastry rounds into the tart molds. Prick the base or each tart shell three times with a fork.
• Knead the remaining dough back together and roll it out to cut out the lids-you can choose whichever shape you like, but stars are the most traditional.
• Divide the 8 ounces of filling among the tarts and press down gently. Place the lids on top and brush with the egg wash.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, and cinnamon. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to mix in the butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the orange zest. Sprinkle with ice water, and gather dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out approximately 18 (3 inch) diameter circles, and 18 (2 inch) circles, rerolling dough as needed.
• Line muffin cups or tart tins using the 3 inch pastry circles. Fill each pastry cup with about 1 tablespoon of mincemeat filling. Top with 2 inch pastry circles, pinching circles together to seal the edges. Brush the top of each pie with egg.
• Bake pies in preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly on wire racks. Dust with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar just before serving.